9 days after returning, Sony channels off Manthan again

KOLKATA: With the uncertainty over pay channel selection looming large, subscribers of Multiple System Operator (MSO) Manthan woke up to yet another channel blackout on Saturday morning. Even as India squared off with Australia in the first ODI at Sydney, Sony channels vanished from their screens. This came after they returned to subscribers’ screens on January 2, following a month-long gap. The MSO has been missing Star channels for a month as well. Both broadcasters have withdrawn channels following a payment default.



Manthan viewers now face a double blackout yet again. Last month, too, both Star and Sony had withdrawn from the platform, citing non-payment of dues. Sony withdrew its sports channels from Manthan, forcing nearly two lakh subscribers to miss the first three India-Australia Test matches that were telecast live on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3. The channels returned on the eve of the last Test match at Sydney. The Star blackout, though, has had a bigger impact due to the absence of hugely popular entertainment channels like Star Jalsha, Star Jalsha Movies, Star Plus and Star Gold, apart from its bouquet of sports channels.

Manthan cable operators have been pirating signals from another MSO on its free channels under pressure from subscribers. On Saturday, too, operators in south Kolkata broadcast Sony Six — that was airing the India-Australia ODI live — on one of its four free channels. The others have, so far, been used for airing Star channels.

Manthan owes Rs 50-55 crore to broadcasters Star, Zee and Sony, according to an industry veteran. “Broadcasters are tightening their noose on Manthan and it will now find it increasingly difficult to stay afloat,” he said.